BOSTON (AP) World Series MVP Steve Pearce says it was a "no-brainer" to return to the Red Sox for another year.

"This was the place that I wanted to be," he said on a conference call Monday, three days after agreeing to a $6.5 million, one-year deal with the defending champions. "The chemistry we had on and off the field, wanting to defend a title, that's a big deal."

A 35-year-old journeyman who has played for seven teams - including the entire AL East - in a 12-year career, Pearce arrived in Boston at the end of June and spent most of this time with the Red Sox platooning at first base with Mitch Moreland.